[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story

[Ken & Tracie]

Maybe the PTM should post a notice on site, inviting both current and 
retired employees to share their stories, so an archive of the "human side" 
of the business is preserved.

K.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dietrich, Robert J." <Robert.Dietrich at unisys.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 8:08 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story


> Herb:
>
> You ask if we want "real tales" - absolutely.  Even not-so-real tales
> are always interesting.  As Fred III likes to point out the delete key
> is not far away so anyone who doesn't want to read your tales doesn't
> have to.  And don't worry about the length, notice that Fred's reply to
> your longest post ever was even longer.  Type until your fingers get
> sore.
>
> And thanks in advance for doing it.
>
> Bob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of
> hrbran99 at adelphia.net
> Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 9:13 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Cc: Mark McGuire
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story
>
>
> --
> HrB
> When I started streetcar training everything had moved to S. Hills Jct
> (SHJ). The Castle Shannon area still had the 'motormans training tracks'
> intact. Training was two weeks and as I said before, everyone had
> completed bus training at some point prior to streetcar training.
>
> Right away we went to Castle Shannon and began taking turns operating a
> 1700 series car. Switch operation was explained, operation at facing and
> trailing points clarified, and it was a good day indeed as I recall!
> Training with the SHJ training instructor (Angelo Nazzo) lasted until
> the middle of the second week. There was then two days with regular
> operators. On the last day the feared "SIGNAL TEST" was given. For two
> weeks it was hammered into us that if you failed the SIGNAL TEST you
> would have to go back to the buses. Of course, everyone passed and all
> was right with the world again. The trolley training, while short in
> duration, was very complete and very intense. It was, however, 1974, we
> were young and we applied ourselves like we had be brought up to do when
> faced with anything dealing with the 'work ethic'. It was still a male
> dominated job back then. All twelve in that training class were male.
> PATransit (PAT) had only three female operators, Hattie Bartosik (at SH!
> J), Cora Sypolt (at E.Liberty Garage), and Daria Washington (at SHJ).
> Daria also made PAT history by being the first African-American Female
> operator.
>
> My first "solo" run was 15-minutes (yes, 15-minutes) after we finished
> with the two weeks training. It was 4PM and Vic Calavo (SHJ evening
> Dispatcher) was trying to fill PM-rush hour trippers. I took a 42/38
> tripper from 4:20 to 7:00pm. I recall it left SHJ to downtown, then
> outbound on 42-Dormont Wye, back to downtown, then outbound on 42/38A-Mt
> Lebanon/Castle Shannon. A very interesting and very good run. I didn't
> make any big mistakes and did not run the car off the Smithfield Bridge
> and went the proper way at all the switches. Even got to use the Dormont
> Wye plus layover before using the wye in the siding just before the wye.
> Again, all was well with the world.
>
> One, of many things, that sticks out in my mind was the feeling when I
> got in the oeprators seat the first time on the training tracks at
> Castle Shannon that first day. It was so odd, and so wonderful, to apply
> the power pedal and have this large piece of electric machine glide
> forward, without the annoyance of a steering wheel, in such silence and
> feel the power as the energy forces changed from potential to kinetic.
> And of course, all was well with the world!!
>
> As far as what cars were used that was up to the car shifter (the guy
> who assigned cars to each run). Each day as we left the SHJ classroom
> (second floor of SHJ administration building) we went to the yard and
> found the 'car shifter' who randomly assigned a car. Usually 1700s, a
> few times 1600s to get used to the hand brake and other features
> different from the 1700s.
>
> I haven't written this much ever, on this list! Time to stop or it will
> fall into the 'pamphlet' category! Let me know if you want "Real Tales
> Of the PAT Trolleys". Many interesting things happened during the years
> that I operated the cars.
> Herb Brannon
>
> ---- Mark McGuire <macmarka at netzero.net> wrote:
>>   So please tell us more about your training, Herb. Or if you wish,
>> send me an offlist e-mail. I'd like to know what you went through,
>> how long you trained with another motorman, what your first solo run
>> was and what car, what cars were used for training, etc. Thanks!
>>
>>                               Mark
>>
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